Electrodeposition of Polypyrrole/NiZnFeO ₄ NPs Nanocomposite Film with Enhanced Specific Capacitance for Supercapacitors

The primary motivation for this work is to address the crucial need for effective energy storage technologies, given the importance of electrochemical energy as a clean, renewable, and efficient source. While conducting polymers, such as PPy, are promising for energy storage due to their ease of synthesis, high conductivity, processability, and environmental stability, their performance can be further enhanced by incorporating metal oxide nanoparticles. This study introduces the novel electrochemical deposition of PPy/NiZnFeO 4 NPs nanocomposite films for supercapacitor applications, specifically leveraging the high electrical conductivity and catalytic activity of NiZnFeO 4 NPs. Detailed characterizations, including chemical, crystal, morphological, and thermal properties, are conducted. Notably, the bandgap energy of pure PPy film (3.77 eV) decreases to 3.66 eV with NiZnFeO 4 NPs incorporation, and electrical conductivity significantly increases from 32.5 to 101.8 mS cm −1 . The specific capacitance is enhanced from 43.64 F g −1 for pure PPy to 192.80 F g −1 for the nanocomposite at a scan rate of 25 mV s −1 in KOH electrolyte, demonstrating superior performance for supercapacitor applications. This enhancement is attributed to the improved electrical conductivity and increased surface area provided by the NiZnFeO 4 NPs. Additionally, it can be concluded that the diffusion‐controlled intercalation reaction dominated the current in the electrochemical reactions.